TITLE VIII--STUDIES, REPORTS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS

PART B--ADVANCED PLACEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM

SEC. 810. ADVANCED PLACEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM

(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED- The Secretary of Education is authorized to make grants to States having applications approved under subsection (c) to enable the States to reimburse low-income individuals to cover part or all of the cost of advanced placement test fees, if the low-income individuals--

(1) are enrolled in an advanced placement class; and

(2) plan to take an advanced placement test.

(b) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION- The State educational agency shall disseminate information regarding the availability of test fee payments under this section to eligible individuals through secondary school teachers and guidance counselors.

(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS- In approving applications for grants the Secretary of Education shall--

(1) require that each such application contain a description of the advanced placement test fees the State will pay on behalf of individual students;

(2) require an assurance that any funds received under this section, other than funds used in accordance with subsection (d), shall be used only to pay advanced placement test fees;

(3) contain such information as the Secretary may require to demonstrate that the State will ensure that a student is eligible for payments under this section, including the documentation required by chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq.); and

(4) consider the number of children eligible to be counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the State in relation to the number of such children in all the States in determining grant award amounts.

(d) FUNDING RULES-

(1) USE OF FUNDS- A State educational agency in a State in which no eligible low-income individual is required to pay more than a nominal fee to take advanced placement tests in core subjects may use any grant funds provided to that State educational agency, that remain after fees have been paid on behalf of all eligible low-income individuals, for activities directly related to increasing--

(A) the enrollment of low-income individuals in advanced placement courses;

(B) the participation of low-income individuals in advanced placement tests; and

(C) the availability of advanced placement courses in schools serving high poverty areas.

(2) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT, RULE- Funds provided under this section shall supplement and not supplant other non-Federal funds that are available to assist low-income individuals in paying advanced placement test fees.

(e) REGULATIONS- The Secretary of Education shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.

(f) REPORT- Each State annually shall report to the Secretary of Education regarding--

(1) the number of low-income individuals in the State who receive assistance under this section; and

(2) the activities described in subsection (d)(1), if applicable.

(g) DEFINITION- In this section:

(1) ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST- The term `advanced placement test' includes only an advanced placement test approved by the Secretary of Education for the purposes of this section.

(2) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL- The term `low-income individual' has the meaning given the term in section 402A(g)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11(g)(2)).

(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated $6,800,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years to carry out this section.